Skip to content

chktex

chktex documentation

Configuration in MegaLinter

Variable Description Default value
LATEX_CHKTEX_ARGUMENTS User custom arguments to add in linter CLI call
Ex: -s --foo "bar"
LATEX_CHKTEX_COMMAND_REMOVE_ARGUMENTS User custom arguments to remove from command line before calling the linter
Ex: -s --foo "bar"
LATEX_CHKTEX_FILTER_REGEX_INCLUDE Custom regex including filter
Ex: (src\|lib)		 Include every file
LATEX_CHKTEX_FILTER_REGEX_EXCLUDE Custom regex excluding filter
Ex: (test\|examples)		 Exclude no file
LATEX_CHKTEX_CLI_LINT_MODE Override default CLI lint mode
- file: Calls the linter for each file
- project: Call the linter from the root of the project		 file
LATEX_CHKTEX_FILE_EXTENSIONS Allowed file extensions. "*" matches any extension, "" matches empty extension. Empty list excludes all files
Ex: [".py", ""]		 [".tex"]
LATEX_CHKTEX_FILE_NAMES_REGEX File name regex filters. Regular expression list for filtering files by their base names using regex full match. Empty list includes all files
Ex: ["Dockerfile(-.+)?", "Jenkinsfile"]		 Include every file
LATEX_CHKTEX_PRE_COMMANDS List of bash commands to run before the linter None
LATEX_CHKTEX_POST_COMMANDS List of bash commands to run after the linter None
LATEX_CHKTEX_UNSECURED_ENV_VARIABLES List of env variables explicitly not filtered before calling LATEX_CHKTEX and its pre/post commands None
LATEX_CHKTEX_CONFIG_FILE chktex configuration file nameUse LINTER_DEFAULT to let the linter find it .chktexrc
LATEX_CHKTEX_RULES_PATH Path where to find linter configuration file Workspace folder, then MegaLinter default rules
LATEX_CHKTEX_DISABLE_ERRORS Run linter but consider errors as warnings false
LATEX_CHKTEX_DISABLE_ERRORS_IF_LESS_THAN Maximum number of errors allowed 0
LATEX_CHKTEX_CLI_EXECUTABLE Override CLI executable ['chktex']

IDE Integration

Use chktex in your favorite IDE to catch errors before MegaLinter !

IDE Extension Name Install
Atom linter-chktex Visit Web Site
Visual Studio Code latex-workshop Install in VSCode

MegaLinter Flavors

This linter is available in the following flavors

Flavor Description Embedded linters Info
all Default MegaLinter Flavor 124 Docker Image Size (tag) Docker Pulls

Behind the scenes

How are identified applicable files

  • File extensions: .tex

How the linting is performed

  • chktex is called one time by identified file (file CLI lint mode)

Example calls

chktex -q myfile.tex

chktex -q -l .chktexrc myfile.tex

Help content

ChkTeX v1.7.8 - Copyright 1995-96 Jens T. Berger Thielemann.
Compiled with POSIX extended regex support.
ChkTeX comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; details on this and
distribution conditions in the GNU General Public License file.
Type "ChkTeX -h" for help, "ChkTeX -i" for distribution info.
Author: Jens Berger.
Bug reports: https://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/?group=chktex
             or darthandrus@gmail.com
Press Ctrl-D to terminate stdin input.


                         Usage of ChkTeX v1.7.8
                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                               Template
                               ~~~~~~~~
chktex [-hiqrW] [-v[0-...]] [-l <rcfile>] [-[wemn] <[1-42]|all>]
       [-d[0-...]] [-p <name>] [-o <outfile>] [-[btxgI][0|1]]
       file1 file2 ...

----------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Description of options:
                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Misc. options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    -h  --help      : This text.
    -i  --license   : Show distribution information
    -l  --localrc   : Read local .chktexrc formatted file.
    -d  --debug     : Debug information. A bit field with 5 bits.
                      Each bit shows a different type of information.
    -r  --reset     : Reset settings to default.
    -S  --set       : Read it's argument as if from chktexrc.
                      e.g., -S TabSize=8 will override the TabSize.

Muting warning messages:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    -w  --warnon    : Makes msg # given a warning and turns it on.
    -e  --erroron   : Makes msg # given an error and turns it on.
    -m  --msgon     : Makes msg # given a message and turns it on.
    -n  --nowarn    : Mutes msg # given.
    -L  --nolinesupp: Disables per-line and per-file suppressions.

Output control flags:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    -v  --verbosity : How errors are displayed.
                      Default 1, 0=Less, 2=Fancy, 3=lacheck.
    -V  --pipeverb  : How errors are displayed when stdout != tty.
                      Defaults to the same as -v.
    -s  --splitchar : String used to split fields when doing -v0
    -o  --output    : Redirect error report to a file.
    -q  --quiet     : Shuts up about version information.
    -p  --pseudoname: Input file-name when reporting.
    -f  --format    : Format to use for output

Boolean switches (1 -> enables / 0 -> disables):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    -b  --backup    : Backup output file.
    -x  --wipeverb  : Ignore contents of `\verb' commands.
    -g  --globalrc  : Read global .chktexrc file.
    -I  --inputfiles: Execute \input statements.
    -H  --headererr : Show errors found before \begin{document}

Miscellaneous switches:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    -W  --version   : Version information

----------------------------------------------------------------------
If no LaTeX files are specified on the command line, we will read from
stdin.   For explanation of warning/error messages, please consult the
main documentation ChkTeX.dvi, ChkTeX.ps or ChkTeX.pdf:
  http://www.nongnu.org/chktex/ChkTeX.pdf

Any of the above arguments can be made permanent by setting them in the
chktexrc file (~/.chktexrc).

Installation on mega-linter Docker image

  • Dockerfile commands :
FROM ghcr.io/assignuser/chktex-alpine:latest AS chktex
COPY --link --from=chktex /usr/bin/chktex /usr/bin/
RUN cd ~ && touch .chktexrc && cd /